Hasina asks ticket seekers to work for party-backed candidates

Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday asked the nomination seekers to work for the party-nominated candidates shunning personal conflicts in the coming 11th general election scheduled to be held on December 30.

She gave the directives while addressing the nomination seekers at the beginning of the Awami League Parliamentary Board (ALPB) meeting at her official residence Ganabhaban.

Talking to journalist, some nomination seekers said the AL chief asked the nomination seekers to strengthen the party through working for its nominated candidates in the upcoming elections.

“At the end of the day, we’ve to choose only one person for a constituency, it’s natural. We’ve no other option. You’ll have to work for the party-nominated candidate,” a nomination seeker from Chattogram quoted Hasina as saying.

In her over 30-minute speech, she also said this election will be a turning point for the country as the fate of country’s development spree is depending on it.

“The conspirators will engage with their full strength against Awami League. So, we all have to remain cautious for the coming days,” she was quoted further as saying by the nomination seeker.

Another AL nomination seeker who came from Brahmanbaria said the party chief took guardian-like commitment from them for working for the party-nominated candidates.

Elaborately describing various development activities of the government during its 10 years’ tenure for the welfare of the country, she asked the party leaders and activists coming from various parts of the country to convey those among the common people.

“You should elaborately convey these messages to people and request them to cast their votes in favour of AL so that the development spree could be continued in the coming days,” the nomination seeker again quoted the party chief as saying.

Addressing the programme, AL general secretary Obaidul Quader issued a warning of organisational punishment against the rebel candidate. “No one will be spared if one goes against the party decision regarding the nomination,” he said.

At least 4,035 aspirants have collected nomination forms to get the Awami League nod for the 11th general election.

The ALPB meeting was supposed to be held at the AL chief’s Dhanmondi office, but it was shifted to the Prime Minister’s official residence due to shortage of space.